OHAs Were Most Active Ant Pest This Summer, Poll Finds

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Summer is always a busy time for pest management professionals when it comes to ant control and summer 2025 was no different.

Ants are a notoriously regional pest, which was reflected among those who responded to PCT’s recent poll question: Which of these ant species was most active in your region this summer?

Thirty-five percent responded that odorous house ants were most active, followed by little black ants (23 percent), carpenter ants (21 percent) and fire ants (21 percent).

Dr. Mohammed El Damir, technical and training director of Adam's Pest Control, Medina, Minn., said black carpenter ants and pavement ants are the most common species encountered indoors in Minnesota. “This spring, I observed higher ant activity around homes on concrete slabs compared to those with basements or crawlspaces,” he said.

El Damir said heavy rain likely flooded outdoor nests, driving ants indoors through cracks or gaps, leading to increased interior treatments early in the season. “Overall ant pressure was lower than last year, but complaints rose in August as conditions dried, prompting more outdoor activity,” he said. “Carpenter and pavement ants were less active, likely due to rain disrupting their typical nesting sites.” 

To the discussion point of ants being a regional pest, PCT received comments about other pest not mentioned in our poll, including from Ryan Leach, pest prevention of Massey Services, Orlando, Fla., who wrote on PCT’s LinkedIn page that ghost and rover ants were most active in his region.